In a message dated 12/17/2013 9:49:42 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
holpennywagner@msn.com writes:
Rick: Give me some time to dig the details out of my
files, but the incident you refer to is undoubtedly the explosion that
occurred underneath the Denver Zephyr at speed, much nearer Creston than Red
Oak, as I recall, in 1942. I'll post the details once I dig them
out. Hol
To: cbq@yahoogroups.com From: rkeil6721@hotmail.com Date: Mon, 16 Dec
2013 16:23:55 -0600 Subject: RE: [CBQ] Re: Passenger Train Wreck at Red Oak
in 1942
Found it, thanks. No accident in the report for
CB&Q in 1941-1944 for Red Oak, closest was Chillicothe, collision with
light engine. Ricky
To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com From: cbqrr47@yahoo.com Date: Mon, 16 Dec 2013
13:57:56 -0800 Subject: Re: [CBQ] Re: Passenger Train Wreck at Red Oak in
1942
There is a link. I don't have it right now, but a Google search
will get it.
On Monday, December 16, 2013 3:47 PM,
Rick <rkeil6721@hotmail.com> wrote:
Is there a specific link/location or just do a Google search? Thanks Ricky
To:
CBQ@yahoogroups.com From: cbqrr47@yahoo.com Date:
Mon, 16 Dec 2013 12:51:52 -0800 Subject: Re: [CBQ] Re: Passenger
Train Wreck at Red Oak in 1942
Check the ICC reports on line.
On Monday, December 16, 2013 2:45 PM,
Rick <rkeil6721@hotmail.com> wrote:
Bill That is why I put the
preface about the CZ in the first part of the email as I was pretty sure
it wasn't the CZ but I needed to confirm with the knowledgeable people on this
list. I'll see if I can get a date and time
of the alleged incident to try and narrow the train choices down. I agree that it is more than likely
rumor. However, unless the question is asked, it will always be a
rumor. I've been through Red Oak and
I'm sure it was even more rural in 1942. That doesn't mean it couldn't
happen, it would probably be far easier to cover something up in a rural area
than a more metropolitan area. As a final point, it may not have
been in Red Oak but near Red Oak and there is nothing out there for
miles. But I'm guessing you're right about Mr Corbin , he proably
would have known something if it were real. Thanks Ricky Keil Papillion, NE
To:
CBQ@yahoogroups.com From: clipperw@gmail.com Date:
Mon, 16 Dec 2013 10:05:42 -0600 Subject: [CBQ] Re: Passenger
Train Wreck at Red Oak in 1942 Ricky,
As someone else noted, the CZ did start operation until 1949. In 1942,
the West Coast train was the Exposition Flyer, inaugurated in 1939. Of course,
at that time, there were a number of passenger trains that passed through Red
Oak each day, including the Denver Zephyr. Since that was during the early
days of WWII, there were also a number of troop trains that probably ran as
extras or sections of other trains. Most of the trains wold have been heavy
weight equipment as Q's stock of individual lightweight Budd cars was somewhat
limited. If your friend knows the time of the accident, I am sure that someone
with a timetable from the period could determine which train it
was.
Personally, I rather doubt that the wreck was caused by sabotage. There
are very few reported instances of railroad sabotage during the war and most
of those were rumors. The most prominent one was the wreck of a Nickel Plate
tank train in Ohio and that was never proved to be sabotage. While there were
some very minor instances of German agents infiltrating the U.S. during the
war, all of those were confined to the east coast and arrived by U-boat
submarines. They were also quickly captured without doing significant damage.
The only German combatants that I have ever heard of in the Midwest were
captured soldiers held in camps in Wisconsin and other locations. Keep in mind
that Red Oak was the home of one of the most active Q railfans, Bernard Corbin
and he seemed to have more than normal access to the RR's activities during
the war, including photography. I am sure that if a sabotage event occurred
anywhere near Red Oak, he would have known about it. Red Oak was and is a
relatively small town and the area around it is rural farm country. Otherwise,
I suppose that it makes a good fictitious story, but such stories have a way
of becoming fact and undermine the real history.
Bill Barber
Gravois Mills, MO
Sun
Dec 15, 2013 8:40 am (PST) . Posted by:
All
A daughter of a fellow modeler is planning to
write a novel either about or including a passenger train wreck in Red Oak,
IA in 1942. My friend indicated it was the CZ but I thought 1942 was before
the CZ went into service under that name.
The
meat of my request is the circumstances. The rumor is that the wreck was
caused by sabotage, perhaps by a German sabotage team. The charges were
small enough to just derail the train and I don't believe there were any
fatalities. I say rumor because there is no information, they checked the
local newspaper and county historical records to no avail.
Evidently, the rumor is that the War Department covered the
incident up so as to not instill panic as the travelling public was using
the railroads pretty much exclusively for travel of any distance in
1942.
My request is either for first hand information or
possible leads to find the information. I will provide the contact
information for the author if anyone wants to provide first hand
information.
Thanks
Ricky Keil
Papillion, NE
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